Having relocated to Dumfries for his retirement, Ian could hardly have been accused of taking it easy. He began to undertake research into local labour history topics, becoming a regular visitor to the Dumfries and Galloway Council archives service. As well as his three books published in association with SLHS, which I highlighted last week, his research in its earlier stages gave rise to a number of articles published in Scottish Labour History, starting with vol. 52 (2017). Interested members may wish to consult our cumulative index, which allows for search by author surname and by categories chosen from a drop-down menu (including 'Dumfries'). The editors of the journal at the time, Jim Phillips and Gregor Gall, generously provided support and feedback to Ian as he polished that first article to an appropriate standard for publication, for which he was very grateful, and he went on to become a regular contributor. The society has always sought to foster research and publication by members of the wider labour movement, as well as by professional historians, and Ian's career provides an outstanding recent example.
He also produced a leaflet for a guided walk, Uncovering working lives: a Dumfries labour history trail, 1771-1914, published jointly by SLHS and Dumfries Trades Union Council (of which he was also a committed member) in 2020. In 2024, this was distributed to members with vol. 59 of the journal in the absence of an occasional publication that year. Hard copies are no longer available, but any members who have joined since late 2024 who would like a copy can be provided with an electronic copy on request.